


Bedtime

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s04e01-02 20 Hours in America, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-01
Updated: 2003-05-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:26:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15113675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "Lemme take you home - I don't think you're gonna make it."





	Bedtime

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Bedtime**  
**by:** Kasey

**Character(s):** Sam, Mallory  
**Category(s):** POST-EP: 20HiA  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own them. This is Post-Ep 3 in 12 hours. Scary.  
**Summary:** "Lemme take you home - I don't think you're gonna make it."  


The drive was made in uncomfortable silence. Three years time in passage can seem like even longer, especially since Sam didn't want to bring up Hockey Puck and Mallory wasn't sure what about work could be a sore subject at that moment. 

"So how *was* New York?" Sam finally asked, a note of longing in his voice. 

"It was good. I'd never been there during the holidays before...amazing." 

"It is." 

"...You're gonna laugh at me..." 

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked 

"I taught at a private school." Sam smirked a little. "See, I told you you'd laugh at me." 

"All that talk about how we need to preseve the public schools and you taught at-" 

"It was where I could get a job. The public schools didn't have enough money to hire another teacher." She gave him a pointed look. 

"We're working on it." 

"Yeah, sure." She smiled faintly. "Dad seemed good when I saw him - I mean relatively, it's the campaign season so he's exhausted, and with what happened today...but he seems good. I hadn't seen him in awhile." 

"Yeah - he's been doing well." 

"Margaret's been watching enough for both of us." 

"She's good at that." Sam smiled, finding it endearing that she worried that much about her father - he didn't worry about his dad, in fact at times he almost didn't want to know what his dad was up to. 

"How're your parents? Is your mom doing better?" 

"Yeah, she's...she's good. She and Dad divorced...a year and a half ago, now? Something like that." 

"Oh, Sam...I'm so sorry, I had no idea..." 

"It's okay." 

"What happened?" 

"Dad had a woman on the side for 27 years." 

She didn't have anything to say in response. 

"So. How've you been?" Sam asked after an awkward pause. 

"Good." 

"You're moving back here, then, or...?" 

"Yeah. I've got a little house in Arlington...still not very unpacked because stuff's been crazy with the beginning of school, but." 

"I know how that goes. I think I still have a few boxes from before the President was sworn in." 

"Well when you work 72 hours in a row and what little time you spend at home is spent sleeping, I can see how that would happen." 

"Yeah." 

"I pull in here, right?" she asked, double-checking as she had been to the apartment only once about three years beforehand. 

"Yeah, just park anywhere on that side." He pointed, and Mallory parked the car. "You wanna come up and have some coffee or something?" 

"You don't need more coffee," she declared. 

"I meant for you." 

"I'll come up." 

"Okay." Sam smiled and led the way to his apartment, fumbling with his keys several times before opening the door. "C'mon in." 

He started toward the coffee maker. "Nono, Skipper, you're going to bed. No more coffee for you - you've already had far too much, I'm sure." 

"I thought you wanted-" 

"Bedtime, Sam." 

"Okay." He walked, a little zombie-like, to the bedroom, pulling off his shirt on the way, too tired for modesty. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Mallory entered. "...Hey..." 

"Lie down." 

"You can go home now if you want, I'm going to bed..." 

"Lie down." He did as he was told, and she drew the covers up over him. "Go to sleep - Dad said you have tomorrow off." 

"...I don't need the day off..." 

"Yeah, you do." She smiled faintly and kissed his forehead. "G'night, Sam...sweet dreams." 

"...Stay a little bit?" 

"Okay." She sat in the chair by the nightstand. 

"So you and Richard broke up, huh?" 

She bit back a smartass comment. "Yeah." 

"You okay?" 

"I'm okay. I like being back in DC." 

"I'm gonna miss him..." 

"Yeah, I'll bet you will," she smirked. 

"You guys went out a long time." 

"One year, nine months, and a week, but who's counting?" 

"You look really nice tonight..." 

"Thank you, Sam." He smiled faintly for a moment before falling asleep. 

Smiling softly, she righted the lamp and set it on the table before gently pushing back Sam's hair. Just as gorgeous as ever, though he seemed older, more tired...The poor guy needed to sleep. "...beautiful speech," she murmured. He could still move her with his words. Upon contemplating this more, she determined it was worthy of a kiss... 

But he was sound asleep. Finally. 

So instead, she tiptoed silently out the door as Sam remained in peaceful slumber. 


End file.
